Ion Square
by Nari-nick
Summary: ...a ray of languid afternoon light fell on his face and the wind rustled his dark hair. The moment stopped and strechted, and Kitty closed her eyes to store the picture save in her mind. He looked like something she wouldn't want to miss.


_Hello my dear guys! I'm back with a little one shot...I started this a year ago but somehow couldn't finish it until now, when I needed distraction. There are lyrics from one of my favourite songs, Ion Square by Bloc Party, which in turn contains lines from a e. e. cummings poem I also love very much. so, this fanfic is a piece of fluffy love, and I hope you feel the love too ;)_

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**Ion Square**

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_ion square_

_perspex swing_

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The little café near the Ion Square was a cozy place. Stuffed with upholstered furniture and full of flowered curtains.

Kitty had discovered the place a few days ago, and now she and Bartimaeus were sitting next to the door, almost lost in the giant cushions of their seats.

"Comfortable", Bartimaeus commented and tried to wriggle out of the pillows. Kitty laughed as his efforts failed. "Don't overexert yourself", she said. He looked at her and smiled, and–there it was again, this warm feeling inside, blooming secretly. That smile made her feel weak and happy at the same time. (She hated feeling weak, but as it didn't make her hate him, she supposed she felt more happy than weak. which was just fine.)

Finally he managed to sit up and leaned towards her. "I could-"

Then the door behind him opened. A ray of languid afternoon light fell on his face and the wind rustled his dark hair. The moment stopped and strechted, and Kitty closed her eyes to store the picture save in her mind, and when she opened them again and he still looked like something perfect, something she wouldn't want to miss, she just leaned forward and kissed him.

He didn't pull away, he kissed her back as if it wasn't the first time they kissed, without question or objection. Kitty felt heat rising in her and broke away.

"Am I really blushing?", she asked horrified.

"Like a girl."

"I _am_ a girl."

"Didn't escape me. Yes, you're blushing."

"Sorry", she managed half-heartedly.

"Oh, already?", he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the day will surely come, when you feel sorry for doing this", he said quietly.

"Doing – what?", she smiled, feeling daring. "Come to like you? Fall for you?" He raised his eyebrows, sceptically or surprised, she couldn't tell. "Yes. That."

She frowned. "You think so?"

"Yes."

"Then so will you."

"Very probably, if only on your behalf." He smiled before reaching out and laying a hand on her cheek. "But I think I want to take the risk", he said before pulling her forward by a strand of her hair and kissing her again.

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_I breathe out, you breathe in_

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_permanent midnight_

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_...mysterious as the dark side of the moon_, she hummed silently. She liked the song, full of determination.

"Who?", Bartimaeus inquiered, interrupting her. "You", Kitty retorted and stuck out her tongue at him.

"Dark side, right", he said dryly. "We have cookies, you know?"

She laughed. "So I've heard."

"If I'm the dark side, are you the bright one?", he teased.

She shrugged. "Probably. Opposites attract."

"Birds of a feather", he retorted. "Humans and their pretty proverbs."

"It's midnight around us anyway I guess", she said, sat on his lap and let her fingers glide through his ravendark hair. By now it felt so natural to her, touching him, she wondered how the thought had ever felt strange.

_._

_our love, our love._

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_how we've come to depend on each other to the end_

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"Remember that one time in Cologne?"

"When that hybrid-demon wasn't really one and wanted to eat me?"

"Yes."

"Sure I do. You saved my ass after all."

"And then, in Bruges, when–"

"When that stoned guy thought you were a prophet and tried to talk you into joining his strange church?"

"Yeah...that was scary, huh?"

"Quite scary. And he smelled."

"You really shouldn't have thrown him out of that window, though."

"Bah, it wasn't even high up...and he wouldn't let you go, I had to do something."

"Hm. Still. And then, in Paris..."

"What, Paris? Why do you always come up with that story at some point?"

"Heh...you were almost run over by the metro."

"..._almost!_"

"Yep, good thing I had you by your shirt."

"Yup."

"...good thing we have each other, huh?"

"Yes. Good for you in most cases, but you're also quite useful sometimes."

_Slap_.

"Ouch"

"...love you too, ass"

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_the space between us has disappeared_

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Closer, closer.

If we get any closer we'll probably melt into each other, she thinks briefly, and leaves a trail of languid kisses on his shoulder. It's hot, and they'll surely melt.

"How can you stand this?", she whispers hoarsly. "Is this not restricting you? What about changing, moving?" What about free space?

No need, he murmurs and pulls her even closer. _You are my free space_, he thinks.

She tries to remember when he lost all facade, when he had put down his mask for her. "When..." "Did I put down my mask for you?" "Yes." His warm mouth on her throat and his hands on her spine are the answer.

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_you finish my, you finish my words for me_

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_I remember how it began_

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"It's somewhere here, I'm sure", Kitty called out. She ran out onto the lawn, always looking left and right as if she expected signs indicating what she searched for.

"I don't like the 'somewhere' part", I said. "And by 'sure', do you mean 'sure' like you have been for the last two hours and the last 50 places we looked?"

"Exactly", she said before slapping me.

"You do realize that it's completely senseless searching for it, as no one knows where it really is and therefore you can never proof that you've supposedly found it even _if_ you ever find it?"

Blake's grave, that is. Don't ask me how the absurd thought of discovering it after it had been lost for a good hundred years had come to Kitty's mind; it is beyond me. However, every now and then she claimed she knew where it was, and so we spend our afternoons. She searching, I teasing.

"You evil grinch!", she said. "Why can't you just–_ouch!_" "Look out!", I called, trying to catch her as she fell down. Kitty: most likely the sole human being who manages to stumble over...nothing at all. She keeps on mystefying me.

"...'at least you found it' would sound cool now, but I'm afraid you still didn't", I said carefully, putting my arms around her waist and pulling her up.

"I know, I–ouw!"

"What is it?"

"...my ankle, I think. It feels twisted."

"Do you see now why it's unbecoming always going barefooted?"

"You're one to talk!"

"I know. Can you walk?"

"...no."

"All the better", I grinned before sweeping her up and carrying her packiback. She sighed and slung her arms tightly around me, buried her face in the curve of my shoulder. "Let's stay outside a bit longer", she said. "I like it here in the sun."

We settled down on a park bench and watched the day pass by in a warm and golden haze.

Days that tasted like raspberries, she'd call those later, and I'd tease her for her poetic moods.

Days that tasted like Kitty, I called them secretly.

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_so many great days in a row_

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_if we could stay like this in a silver foil_

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She watched him and then looked into the small mirror. "What a sad sight", she huffed silently.

"Don't worry, you don't look older than you are", the djinn said dryly and sat down beside her.

"Haha", Kitty said listlessly. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

Bartimaeus grinned. "What else?"

She let the mirror sink and stared out of the window. This year had brought an early autumn, the rain hadn't stopped for days.

"You know, when I noticed I liked you, I tried to deny it at first. I thought..." She looked up. "That you've seen so much already. That you are too old, that you'll get bored with me eventually, so I tried to forget about it."

"You thought I am too old?", he asked and grimaced. "Don't know if I should be insulted."

She nodded. "I thought your age would be the obstacle. But really...", she looked into the mirror again. Wrinkles. Grey strands in her hair. "But really, it's your youth."

He reached out and fondled the tiny crow's-feet beside her eye.

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_trapped in amber for a life_

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_who said unbroken happiness is a bore?_

_who said it my love?_

_I don't mind it anymore._

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Her breath was even and silent.

In the past, watching humans sleep had bored me, but not anymore. Now I liked to sometimes stay with her in the night, and watching her in her sleep calmed me. Almost like a stay in the Other Place.

Breathe in. And out. Steadily. Alive, that calmed me.

Now she moved, and turned to face me. The blanket slid down to her waist. For a moment I watched how the moonlight made her bare skin glow. Seen a thousand times, never ceased to amaze me.

I reached out a hand and pulled the blanket back over her shoulders, fingers entangled in her hair. Her eyelids fluttered. "Sleep some more", I whispered and pulled her close, her head resting under my chin.

On my chest, her breath. In. And out.

Peaceful.

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_the hunger of those early years will never return_

_but I don't mind,_

_I don't mind._

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_years of crime and the bread line_

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She thinks she is old now, but she isn't. Well, even if she was, I wouldn't mind anyway.

Her light is still blinding. Still warming me, still makes me want her.

I want her! I–"What you looking at so lewdly, eh?"

...excuse me.

"What are you do– hey!"

How I like this, being with her. Again and again, so quite new a thing.

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_...not at all dimmed your shine_

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_so let's stay in_

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She loved those lazy afternoon hours.

In the past they had often been out, in a café or a park, had gone on walks or even, when they felt daring and like having a good laugh, in the theatre.

But lately, they just stayed in.

She loved those lazy afternoon hours.

They had ended up on the sofa, curled around each other, her head on his lap. Content silence. His hand played with her hair, then passed on to carressing her bare shoulder.

With each soft touch, she felt more precious.

"...Bartimaeus?"

"Hm?"

"You feel sorry yet?"

He bent down to kiss her neck. "Never."

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_let the sofa be our car_

_let's stay in,_

_let the tv be our stars_

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_I carry your heart here with me_

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What will you do when I have died?

He looks up and fixes her with his gaze. Don't worry, you won't die.

Of course I will, idiot, she says. Everyone has to die.

I don't, he says and sits down beside her. And neither will you, if I have to say something about it.

What if no one asks you?, she grins.

He shakes his head. You really think I'd just let you rot somewhere? Nope. Not a chance in hell.

She buries her face in the curve of his neck and closes her eyes. So, what will you do? ...no, kisses don't count as answers this time.

...I'll still have you with me, somehow.

Promise?

Promise.

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_I carry you in my heart_

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_thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it! until...someday. xoxo_


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